For Whom the Dogs Bark

65F, 88%, S 10 mph.  I didn't run Saturday because of the Olympic Trials, but it didn't make me any faster today.  20.07 LHR miles in 3:30:01, average 10:28 per mile, not a good run but any time you run 20 it is a success.  I am supposed to start training for Boston this week, but I think I will run slow for one more week.  I think I will have time this week and I want to get a long string of uninterrupted slow days.  Training has been so broken up with travel and the holidays that I feel like I need one more week.

However, I am afraid something is going on.  I was slightly under 10 for 6 miles then nothing after that.  Several late in the run were in the high 10s and would have been comfortably in the 11s if I hadn't cheated and let my heart rate go up a little.  I have done 20 at LHR before averaging under 10 at temperatures similar to this morning -- I really have no explanation for why I am suddenly getting slower.  One doesn't age that quickly.  One possibility is that I have actually lost conditioning running a lot of slow stuff, but it has never happened before.  I honestly thought I would be in the low 9s by the end of this base cycle, maybe better.  Another possibility is medical.  I am due for a physical but not sure how I would explain my situation to a doctor who is used to dealing with patients who are happy to be able to run 3 miles a week, if at all.  How is a medical professional going to think there is anything wrong with me?  He'll just think I'm crazy and his guess would probably be no better than mine.

The Trials on Saturday were a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Went down with Wade and Eric and met Joe who was in town to run a very fast marathon on Sunday.  Because of the configuration of the 3-loop course and the staggered start between men and women we were able to see the start and the finish and then walk down the course a ways and see a lot of racing by shuttling back and forth between the out-bound part and the in-bound part.  Because of a jog in the course we were actually able to see each lead group 3 times each lap.  It was other-worldly to be so close to the lead pack as they came around corners, you could see the sweat flying off of them.  I think the women have a good chance at a medal, not sure about the men.  Houston turned out big for it, but I can't believe everybody in town wasn't there.

70F, 94%, SSW 9-17 with light rain.  Got out very early with the intent to run 12 slow.  About 4.5 miles in I saw Wade, ran to catch up with him and ran 3 or 4 at his speed, which was mid-8s, then finished off at the same speed, heart rate generally 152-155 toward the end.  Overall 12.47 miles in 1:54:36, average 9:11 per mile (second time in a week, hate when that happens).

Can't get the weekend out of my head.  In addition to SlowJoe's cold, execution-style run, my age group was won at 2:34:57, somebody from Ross, California (Napa Valley) coming in to crash the party, very possibly a liberal.  Seriously, that time is 10 minutes faster than any other time I have ever heard about for my age group, including at Boston.  I looked him up and he has run only one other marathon that shows up in the last 10 years, CIM just over a month ago.

41F, 60%, NNE 6 mph, clear and dry.  A perfect morning.  Left very early and ran 20.07 miles in 2:52:53, average pace 8:37 per mile, average heart rate 151 bpm, and made it to a 9:00 meeting at a client's office.  This run was a only a little higher than my average pace in Richmond about 14 months ago, so I was curious to compare heart rates from that time period.  I found a training run from a couple of Saturdays before that marathon.  It was 26 miles, and my entry says "under 155 through 20 miles and under 160 until the last mile" -- average pace on that day was 9:36.  Today I didn't break 155 until I sped up to the low 8:20s in the last 5 miles; further, I never broke 161 and could have held close to that heart rate and pace for the remainder of the marathon if I had wanted to.  My shoes were heavier then, the weather about the same, training load a little heavier right now than it was then -- overall it is fair to say I was a minute faster today at a slightly lower heart rate.  All well and good, but I would be like to understand why my LHR pace back then was at least as fast as it is now, that is the mystery.  Everything else makes sense.   

One last factoid from the Trials:  The oldest man was 37 (the winner was 36 and the last place finisher was also 36).  The oldest woman was 50 and there were two of them, finishing 28th and 143rd.  15 women were over 40.  I can't explain the disparity but it is interesting.

55F, 88%, SSW 6 mph.  12.51 miles in 1:54:29, average 9:09 per mile.  At mile 9.11 I looked at my watch and my average pace was 9.11, along with a previous split of 9:11.  Had to pick it up after that.

69F, 93%, S 9 mph and cloudy.  Got up very early and ran 20, most of it in the dark.  Very warm this morning for this time of year.  Unfortunately my BodyGlide stopped working at the same time as the sun came up, not a good combination, but at least it helped me keep my hands high.  20.00 miles in 3:00:43, average 9:02 per mile, 146 bpm.  Tried to stay under 150 bpm the whole run, my theoretical aerobic threshold.  I could stay under 9 minute pace until the last 2 miles, when I had to slow down a little or release the heart rate.

PM:  Wade and I drove out to Huntsville State Park, site of the Rocky Raccoon 100 in two weeks, to practice running the trails in the dark, since we will be pacing Mr. Crockett in two weeks when he runs it.  We ran exactly 10 miles in 1:48:14, average pace 10:50 per mile.  At first it was comical trying to stay on the trail in the dark and avoid all the roots.  Plus I was pretty stiff from running earlier in the day, but within a mile we were moving fine.  I had a good light and led most of the way, but Wade was leading at mile 3.5 where we both stopped when a large animal started moving alongside the trail.  I ran into Wade but we were just staring and never saw anything.  Finally it growled and walked away.  We are calling it a bear.  So we are veteran trail runners now.  A couple of guys were just unloading their trunk when we got back.  They are in the race and were out for a night run, they were going to run all night, for 10 hours, but were only going 30 miles.

Hi, my name is flatlander and I am a mileage junkie.  I didn't intend for things to turn out like this, it just happened, but I can change.  I'm going to start getting ready for Boston next week.  This time I really mean it.